About Goat Canyon Trestle Bridge

Remember at the turn of the century when everyone in America wanted to build railroads to their cities to booster their economies into existence? No? You weren’t alive. Well, neither were we, but we should all be grateful for this inclination because otherwise we would not have the Goat Canyon Trestle Bridge – a true hidden gem located in San Diego County.

And we do not use the term hidden gem lightly. This place is hidden. And this place is stunning.

Buried deep in the mountains of the western Colorado Desert, within the confines of Anza Borrego Desert State park, sits the world’s largest all-wood trestle bridge – haunting in its isolation and magnitude. The unused Goat Canyon Trestle Bridge is a testament to the determination of man to conquer every landscape on earth, no matter how formidable. And a testament to the limitations of that ambition. Initially part of a rail line attempting to connect San Diego with the east, this section of the defunct San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway snakes through inhospitable desert terrain in the southern section of Anza Borrego. Lucky for us, it makes for a beautiful walk through the desert.

We suggest walking out to the bridge along the railroad starting at a parking spot at the end of Dos Cabezas Road. From this spot walk north and it is a about 5.5 miles to the trestle. This means it is another 5.5 miles back so please be prepared. The walk itself is flat along a rail line so it is not strenuous or confusing, but this is the middle of nowhere desert, so bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and food. Ideally, we recommend you disperse camp at the trailhead – it’s legal as it is located in Anza Borrego State Park and there are plenty of good places to set up a tent or car camp there. There is several other ways of getting to the Goat Canyon Trestle, this is just our suggestion as it offers a nice long walk along the rail line and a nice place to camp when you get back.

Best Parts

• Something unique
• Getting away from it all
• Getting outdoors

Behind The Counter

At over 640,000 acres, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, located in the western part of the great Colorado Desert, is the largest state park in California and the third largest state park in the country. The park stretches from near the Mexican border in the south to up near Temecula in the north. The first parcels of the park were purchased by the state in 1932 and it has expanded ever since